Metal strip can opener



March 20, 1956 F. A. POLLARD 2,738,896

METAL STRIP CAN OPENER Filed Oct. 29, 1953 IN VEN TOR.

iZgydAPdlm-d ATTD RN EYS United States Patent METAL STRIP CAN OPENERFloyd A. Pollard, Kendall, Wis. Application October 29, 1953, Serial No.388,991 1 Claim. (Cl. 220-52) This invention relates to can openers ofthe type actuated by a crank and in which a cover of a can is sealed tothe body of the can with a thin metal strip; and in particular a canopener having a split shaft journaled in a holder and having a crankadapted to be actuated by hand on one end of the shaft whereby with anextended tab of a metal strip extended through the split end of theshaft the shaft may be rotated by the crank to remove the strip from thecan and after opening the can the sealing strip, which is rolled on theshaft, is readily removable.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a tool for positivelyremoving a sealing strip from a can or other container in which the toolis adapted to be held in one hand and actuated by the other hand of anoperator.

Cans and other containers in which covers or upper portions of the cansor containers are secured or sealed to lower portions thereof areprovided with keys having slots into which tabs on the ends of metalstrips are inserted whereby with the key rotated by hand the strips areremoved to open the cans or containers.

Keys of this type are given away with cans and for this reason are ofinexpensive construction and in numerous instances the sealing stripstear or break before the can is opened. With this thought in mind thisinvention contemplates a can opener having a hand crank actuated shaftjournaled in bearings at the end of a holder or handle in which the endof the shaft opposite to that on which the handle is positioned is splitto re ceive a tab on the end of a sealing strip of a container and alsoto provide means whereby the sealing strip is readily ejected from theshaft after the sealing strip is removed from the container. A

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for forminga can opener for removing sealing strips from cans and other containerswhereby the device for rolling the sealing strip is held in positionwith one hand as the sealing strip is rolled with the other hand of anoperator.

Another object of the invention is to provide a can opener for removingsealing strips from cans and containers in which the device is adaptedto be used repeatedly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a can opener forremoving sealing strips from cans and containers in which the device isof a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionembodies a holder having a handle extended therefrom with spacedbearings extended from the end of the holder opposite to that from whichthe handle extends, with a shaft having a split end journaled in saidbearings and with a crank adapted to be actuated by hand carried by theend of the shaft opposite to the end having the split therein.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the use of the metal stripcan opener and showing the device in the position of starting theremoving operation of the strip from the can.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 with the partsshown on an enlarged scale showing a tab extended from the sealing stripextended through a slot of the shaft of the opener.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan similar to that shown in Fig. 2 showing themetal strip partly rolled upon the shaft of the tool.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section through the bearings of the holderwith parts broken away and with the shaft partly withdrawn in whichposition the rolled metal strip as indicated by the broken lines, isremoved from the shaft.

Figure 5 is a detail showing a plan taken on line 55 of Fig. 1illustrating a finger projecting from the holder over the end of a canor container to locate the position of the device on a can.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts the metal strip can opener of this inventionincludes a holder 10 having a handle 11 extended from one end with ashaft 12 journaled in bearings 13, 14, and 15 extended from the end ofthe holder opposite to that from which the handle extends and with alever 16 having a crank 17 with a handle 18 on the end extendedtherefrom.

The holder 10 is also provided with a finger 19 positioned to rest onthe upper end of a can and a prong 20 extended into a slot 21 betweenthe bearings 14 and 15 and, as illustrated in Fig. 2, positioned tostart a metal strip, as indicated by the numeral 22 into a slot 23provided in the lower end of the shaft 12.

The slot 23 extends from the end of the shaft inwardly to a point 24whereby with the shaft withdrawn, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the rolledstrip is ejected from the end of the shaft. The outer surfaces of theshaft are tapered from the point 24 to the end of the shaft tofacilitate removing the rolled metal strip therefrom.

The shaft is also provided with a stop or pin 25 that is positioned in arecess 26 between the bearings 13 and 14 whereby the shaft is retainedin the holder and is not accidently displaced therefrom.

The lever 16 is provided with a hub 27 by which it is fixedly mounted onthe upper end of the shaft 12 and, as shown in Figures 1 and 4 the crank17 is connected to the lever 16 with an offset section 28.

The end of the handle 11 may be provided with an opening 29 by which thedevice may be placed on a nail, hook, or other holder.

With the parts formed in this manner the tab on the end of the metalstrip 22 is raised by the prong 20 so that it may be inserted throughthe slot 23 in the end of the shaft 12 and with the shaft rotated by thecrank as the device is held by the handle 11 in one hand the metal stripis rolled on the shaft until the can or other container is completelyopened and after the container is opened the rolled strip is readilyremoved from the shaft, as illustrated in Figure 4.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of theappended claim, may be made in the design and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A can opener comprising a holder having a handle at one end and a pairof outer bearings and an intermediate hearing at the opposite end, ashaft having a hand crank on one end journaled in the bearings on theholder and having a slot in the end opposite to that on which the crankis positioned for receiving a tab of a metal strip of a container, aremovable pin mounted in the shaft transversely thereof and adapted toengage either the intermediate or one of the outer bearings forpreventing accidental displacement of the shaft from the holder, saidholder having an arcuate prong extending from the holder intermediatethe intermediate bearing and the other of the outer bearings andpositioned to raise a tab on the end of the metal strip to start themetal strip into the slot of the shaft and a finger extending from saidholder for positioning the can opener on a can, said shaft being adaptedto be moved longitudinally to remove a metal strip rolled thereon.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,381,037 Vogel June 7, 1921 1,985,290 Hildebrandt Dec. 25, 19342,140,151 Dazey Dec. 13, 1938 2,286,039 Reynolds June 9, 1942 2,649,990Lyle Aug. 25, 1953

